III Seadogs
by Commander Zurtok
Summary: Having landed in the ocean the team meets Ecco the dolphin and discover they need crystals to restart the engines of the space plane.


Seadogs

"Stabilizers are offline! Thrusters have failed! I am rerouting auxiliary

power attempting to level our descent!" Brendon yelled. "Brace yourselves!"

The space plane came down in water with quite a jolt. Knocking the team around like lotto balls.

"Oof! Brendon, when we get home remind me to rip your nuts off and stuff them in your ears." Melissa said.

"That may not be possible." Jason said, pointing to Brendon lying on the floor groaning. The medkit lying next to him told the whole story. "A medkit to the crotch that has got to hurt."

"I am ok. Well, at least we are home!" Brendon said, gleefully, stepping out the main hatch. "Whoa!" Splash!

"Brendon!" Jason and Melissa yelled.

Coughing and sputtering Brendon came up. "Salt water! I hate salt water!"

"It's a cinch were not home." Melissa said. "It appears we crashed in an oceanic glade."

A small dolphin popped up on the surface quite near Brendon. Six star markings decorated its head.

"Pardon me. Can I help you people?" The dolphin asked.

"Whoa!" Brendon fell back into the water pulling Melissa with him. Jason fell in himself.

"Oh, dear. Excuse me." The dolphin dove into the water coming back up with the fainted form of Jason.

Working quickly they got him into the space plane and revived him. "My God, I had the strangest dream. There was this talking dolphin and…"

"It was no dream. Out here!" The dolphin called. "Try not to fall in the water this time." Brendon peered out of the hatch.

"Hello there!" The dolphin said cheerfully.

"You are a dolphin." Melissa said.

"So they tell me. Might I inquire why this, this thing is in my pods' lagoon?" The dolphin asked.

"Do you have a name?"

"Ecco T. Dolphin. Pray, what is your name?"

"My name is Starboy, this is Stargirl, and you rescued the Captain of Outer Space or Captain for short."

"Uhh, Starboy, can I have a word?" Jason asked.

"What's on your mind, Cap?"

"The engines are dead. The crystals the engines draw power from have shattered, most likely from the trip here." Jason said sadly.

"So we are stranded." Melissa said.

"Unless we find more crystals that is about the size of it." Brendon said.

There came a large splash and Ecco flopped into the space plane. "Aah! Ooooo! Ahhh!"

"Ecco, you all right?" Brendon asked.

"This floor is freaking cold!" Ecco replied. Jason and Melissa looked at each other. "Ok, I'm used to it now. What sort of crystals will you be needing then?"

"Crystals from the ocean floor near volcanic vents, but we must pass through the arctic first." Brendon said, with a downcast expression. "Curse my imagination when I was seven."

Melissa nodded. "You know what? I am not waiting until we get home. I'm ripping your nuts off now!"

Jason held her back. "Now, Melissa, calm down you cannot hold him accountable for what he did when he was seven."

"Watch me!"

"We don't have time for this!" Brendon shouted. Melissa calmed down. "Let's just get into our wet gear."

"I can breathe underwater but you all cannot."

"We got it covered I had the sense to take care of that when I was seven."

Melissa scratched her head. "You never wrote Starboy until you were eight."

"I built the space plane the year before. Now get your gear before Ecco dries out." Brendon said just as there was a loud splash.

"Shall I have lunch while waiting, Starboy?" Ecco said, yawning.

"Incidentally, how is it you can breathe underwater?" Brendon asked putting his fins on.

"A power I received from a very old friend. Interesting gear you have."

"Underwater jet pack so-to-speak except it has a propeller. I hope you can keep up with us."

"On the contrary, I hope you can keep up with me." Ecco grinned.

"Come on, you two!" Brendon shouted, diving in the water.

"Nicely done, Starboy, I know diving and that was a great one." Ecco said. "Intriguing breathing apparatus you have there, how does it work?"

"I do not actually know. I do know it recycles the air that I breathe out and there is more to it, but I cannot explain it. Basically, I could stay submerged for a month if I wanted. Good thing my laser pistol is water proof."

"Cannonball!" Jason yelled. Brendon quickly pulled his helmet on. Jason made quite a splash.

"Fire two!" Melissa yelled, following suit. Melissa has long since overcome her hydrophobia.

Ecco shook his head, "Humans." He muttered. "If you all will follow me. I do hope no one is claustrophobic." He led them through a narrow crevice into a series of caves.

Ecco let loose a song and waited. "Are you sure you know where you're going?" Melissa asked.

"Shh!" Ecco gurgled. "We keep on this route we should pass by a friend of mine; a killer whale."

Keeping to the route mentioned they came to an underwater room. Ecco stopped and sent out several songs and then listened intently.

"This is odd, according to the motion detector there is no movement within a one kilometer radius." Jason reported.

Ecco took off at full speed. "Well, let's get after him!" Brendon said frantically. Setting their packs to maximum they took off after Ecco. Dodging coral spikes and stones they caught up to Ecco. The temperature of the water was dropping. Ecco was stopped in front of a large pile of stones.

"This is not right. There must have been a cave in." Ecco sang to the rockslide but nothing was returned.

"Not right indeed these rocks absorbed your sonar. Get behind me we are breaking through one way or another." Brendon said, drawing his pistol. He fired at the rocks but the shot was absorbed as well. Even a shot at maximum setting was absorbed. "Set pistols to maximum. Ready? Fire!"

"It's not having any effect!" Melissa observed.

"Cease fire. These rocks are definitely not from this planet. Is there any other way around?" Brendon asked Ecco.

"This is the only exit to the open ocean, well was. Can you not just cut through the surrounding rock?" Ecco asked.

"Far too dangerous. It could trigger a seaquake and kill us all." Jason said.

"Why not use one of the guided rockets on the space plane?" Melissa suggested.

"Good idea, however, it would take weeks to program it." Jason said.

"No, she's right. We bring the rocket here and launch it from this spot giving it a dead-on path to the rocks. We take the detonator out to make it safe to handle, bring it here and rock and roll." Brendon said.

After several hours, several cuss words, and several more arguments they got the rocket in place.

"Oww! (bleep) I think I hate this rocket." Jason said. "There it is armed and ready. I set the launch timer at 45 seconds, take cover guys." Jason looked around and saw no one. "That figures. Everyone vanishes just when-"

"Hey stupid! Scram!" Ecco called out from around the corner.

Jason fled just seconds before the rocket took flight. The explosion raised a cloud of sediment. When it settled the rockslide was undamaged.

"You and your ideas, Starboy. The rocks are still there." Melissa said.

"Oh, yeah?" Brendon drew his pistol and reduced the rocks to dust with one shot. "Immune to energy not to concussive attack."

"How foolish one would think if you're going to be immune to one might as well be protected against the other." Melissa said. "Whoa!"

Out of nowhere a shark came speeding at Melissa jaws a-snapping.

Ecco was the first to react. He slammed into shark at full charge. "Forgot to tell you, the open ocean is full of sharks."

"Not anymore. Motion detector says there are only a scattered few." Jason said.

"None the less, keep your wits about you set your pistols on stun." Brendon said.

"Set your jet packs on maximum. The open ocean is not called so for naught. No rocks, no reefs, just water." Ecco sped off. The team followed.

"Ok, this is creepy. Eerie quiet no fish or anything." Melissa said.

"Something is not right. We have to find out what is wrong. Guys hold up my pack is malfunctioning." Jason said. "It must have been damaged in the explosion."

"I advise against lingering here." Ecco called.

Suddenly from depths another shark appeared and clamped its jaws on Jason. Jason screamed in pain.

"Jason!" Screamed Melissa and Brendon.

Jason wanted to respond but his punctured lungs would only allow him to cough up blood. As it filled his helmet, the shark dragged his dying body to the depths.

Melissa began sobbing uncontrollably. Brendon embraced her and set his laser pistol to maximum.

Continued in Time Jockeys


End file.
